Sir Richard Hughes, 1st Baronet facts for kids

Captain Sir Richard Hughes, 1st Baronet (1708 – 23 September 1779) was an officer in the Royal Navy. He became the Resident Commissioner of Portsmouth Dockyard, a very important job.

Hughes joined the navy in 1721. He served on many ships, some commanded by his father. He spent time in the Mediterranean Sea and Baltic Sea. He was also a follower of Admiral Sir John Norris.

He became a commander in 1739. The next year, he was promoted to post-captain. After commanding ships in the Mediterranean, he took charge of HMS Fougueux in 1753. In 1754, he became the Resident Commissioner of Portsmouth. He held this role until 1773, when he was made a baronet and retired. He passed away in Southampton at age 71.

Life in the Navy

Early Years and Family

Richard Hughes was born in 1708 in Deptford. His father, also named Richard Hughes, was a Captain in the navy. His father also served as the Resident Commissioner, Portsmouth Dockyard and led the Royal Naval Academy. Richard's mother was Mary Loader.

The Hughes family came from the Princes of Cardigan in Wales. They changed their family name from Ap Hughes to Hughes in the 1600s. Richard had a brother named Robert. Robert also joined the navy and became a rear-admiral.

Richard Hughes joined the navy on August 26, 1721. He started as a volunteer on HMS Nottingham. This ship had 60 guns. His father commanded Nottingham, which was part of the Baltic Fleet. This fleet was led by Admiral Sir John Norris.

First Naval Duties

Sir John Norris, a senior officer Richard Hughes often served under

Hughes did not stay long on Nottingham. On September 20, he moved to HMS Chichester. This ship had 80 guns, and his father also commanded it. He served on Chichester in the Baltic Fleet until June 23 of the next year.

Then, he became an able seaman on HMS Leopard. This 50-gun ship was serving near Britain. On July 13, 1723, Hughes was promoted to midshipman. He joined HMS Edinburgh, a 70-gun ship, also commanded by his father. On December 18, 1725, he passed his test to become a lieutenant. During this time, Edinburgh was a guardship at Blackstakes, Kent. A guardship protects a specific area.

Hughes became a lieutenant on July 28, 1726. He was assigned to HMS Grafton, a 70-gun ship, as its fourth lieutenant in the Baltic. On April 20, 1727, he became Grafton's third lieutenant. On July 26, 1728, he moved to HMS Cornwall, an 80-gun ship. His father took command of Cornwall, and Richard served as its second lieutenant.

On February 8, 1729, he became Cornwall's third lieutenant. Then, on April 12, he moved to HMS Princess Amelia. This 80-gun ship was the flagship of Vice-Admiral Sir George Walton in the Mediterranean Fleet. Hughes served as its fourth lieutenant.

Hughes left Princess Amelia on December 16. He then took a break from active duty, called half pay. On February 4, 1731, he joined HMS Salisbury, a 50-gun ship. Salisbury sailed to the Newfoundland Station later that year. Hughes served there as its second lieutenant until May 8, 1732. He then became the first lieutenant of HMS Sunderland, a 60-gun guardship at Sheerness. On February 15, 1733, he became Sunderland's second lieutenant.

He continued on Sunderland until May 6, 1735. Then he became the sixth lieutenant of HMS Britannia, a huge 100-gun ship. This was Admiral Norris's flagship near Lisbon. He stayed on Britannia until October 16 and then took another long period of half pay. This break ended on June 12, 1739. He was then made the first lieutenant of HMS Namur, a 90-gun ship. This was Norris's new flagship for duties near Britain.

Taking Command

On July 3, Hughes was promoted to commander. He was given command of a new 8-gun fireship called HMS Anne Galley. He served in the Mediterranean Fleet under Rear-Admiral Nicholas Haddock. This was during the War of the Austrian Succession.

On October 24, 1740, he became a post-captain. He was sent to command HMS Dursley Galley, a 20-gun frigate, also in the Mediterranean. His job was to protect the main fleet and patrol nearby areas. However, the large British fleet kept French and Spanish ships in their harbors. So, Dursley Galley did not see much fighting. On July 10, 1741, he was briefly made the acting Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth.

Hughes took command of HMS Faversham, a 40-gun frigate, on July 25, 1742. In August, he joined a group of ships led by Commodore William Martin. They sailed to Naples and forced that country to stay neutral in the war. They threatened to attack if Naples did not agree.

Hughes left Faversham in August 1743. In January 1744, he was one of the officers in a court martial (a military trial) for Captain Richard Norris in Mahon. His next command in the Mediterranean came on April 1. He was given HMS Chatham, a 50-gun ship. His father had commanded this same ship between 1706 and 1710.

Hughes was put in charge of a small group of ships off the coast of Italy. His job was to protect trade ships and convoys that were supporting the allied armies on land. On August 18, Hughes moved to another ship, HMS Essex, a 70-gun ship. He left Essex on October 25, 1748, when it was taken in for a refit (repairs and upgrades).

His last ship command began on January 10, 1753. He was given the newly recommissioned HMS Fougueux. This was a 64-gun ship that had been captured from the French. Fougueux was stationed as the guardship at Portsmouth.

Becoming a Commissioner

On February 12, 1754, Hughes was appointed the Resident Commissioner at Portsmouth. He took over this important job from his father, who was retiring. Some historians believe that Hughes only pursued a navy career so he could eventually take his father's place at Portsmouth.

Hughes continued to work at Portsmouth very successfully. He retired from the navy, still a captain, on August 25, 1773. On July 17 of that year, he hosted George III, the King, during a visit to the dockyard. As a reward for this "magnificent" service, he was made a baronet. This is a special title, like a knight, that can be passed down in the family.

In retirement, he received a yearly payment of £500. He passed away in Southampton on September 23, 1779, at the age of 71.

Family Life

Richard Hughes married Joanne Collyer, who was the daughter of Captain William Collyer from Deptford. They married sometime in the 1720s. Together, they had two sons and two daughters:

• Mary Hughes (died 1824), who married Captain Thomas Collingwood. After he died in 1780, she married Colonel Nathaniel Heywood. He worked for Prince William Henry.
• Sarah Hughes, who never married.
• Admiral Sir Richard Hughes, 2nd Baronet (1724–January 5, 1812).
• Reverend Sir Robert Hughes, 3rd Baronet (September 17, 1739–June 4, 1814).